IN CONVERSATION WITH MARTIJN LAKEMEIER

interview by MAREK BARTEK

Martijn Lakemeier first captured international attention at just 14 with his breakout role in Oorlogswinter (2008), the Dutch Academy Award entry that earned him a Golden Calf for Best Actor — making him the youngest recipient in history — as well as the Rembrandt Award for Best Actor. Since then, he has built a dynamic career across film and television, starring in acclaimed features including De Marathon, Boven is het Stil, Ventoux, De Oost, Goodbye Stranger, and Netflix’s global hit Happy Ending. On television, he has appeared in major Dutch series such as Hollands Hoop and Doodstil, and internationally in the BBC drama Marie Antoinette. Most recently, he gained widespread recognition portraying King Willem-Alexander in the hit series Maxima, selected for Canneseries 2024, a role he will reprise in both Maxima season 2 (releasing March 14) and the upcoming spin-off Mabel & Margarita. He is also currently filming the feature De Bovenburen, set for release later this year, further solidifying his status as one of the Netherlands’ most compelling leading actors.

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You made your film debut at just 14 in Oorlogswinter, a role that instantly placed you in the national spotlight. Looking back now, what do you think that experience taught you about acting — and how did it shape your relationship with fame early on? 

It’s a strange experience being catapulted into a completely unfamiliar world at such a young age, something quite hard to describe. It was a cocktail of pure joy to be recognised and a form of loneliness as well because it was hard to share or have my peers  be a part of what I was going through. But I am incredibly blessed to come from a stable and loving family that always knows how to help me see the relativity of things. 

Winning the Golden Calf so young is an extraordinary achievement, but it can also create expectations that follow you for years. Did you ever feel pressure to “live up” to that early success, and how did you learn to build a career beyond being seen as a child prodigy? 

To be honest, I think I won that prize at an age and moment where I didn’t yet fully understand the meaning of such an award, and therefore I also didn’t feel any pressure. I kind of smiled through it all. By now I believe that the honour of winning any price related to acting should not create any kind of expectation whatsoever. It’s a beautiful recognition for a piece of work, but it doesn’t guarantee anything for the future. You should simply carry on and expect the same kind of ups and downs that have always been there.

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Over the years you’ve moved between mainstream hits, arthouse projects, and TV drama with total ease. How conscious have you been in shaping your career choices — and what kind of scripts still excite you today after having done so many different genres?

The variety of projects, genres and people I have gotten to work with is what I’m most proud of. It has been a combination of conscious choices and sheer luck. I’m not as ignorant to think that I am the only person to thank for the different opportunities I’ve had. It’s something that has slowly been shaped together with my manager, and all the people around me I like to discuss these choices with. But in the end, as actors, we are generally bound to sit around and wait for a phone call. I just feel very lucky to get calls from different corners of the industry, and for as far as possible I hope I can maintain that luck.

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You’ve played characters across wildly different worlds — from De Marathon to De Oost, to romantic comedies like Ja, Ik Wil!. Do you feel your personal taste as an actor has changed with age, and are there roles you’re now drawn to that you wouldn’t have understood ten years ago?

The most exciting and challenging characters are often the ones that are far from who we are, but those are rarely the roles I get. It’s a struggle sometimes to stay away from the ‘type-cast’ corner — it means saying no to a job opportunity, which is not easy. On the other hand, the characters you get to play naturally evolve with age. Later this year I start working on a project in which I get to play a father for the first time. It’s like you get to open a new door in the house where you haven’t been allowed in until now. That’s exciting! 

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You’ve been part of some of the Netherlands’ most defining TV series, like Hollands Hoop, but also increasingly international productions. How do you approach acting differently when the audience is Dutch and familiar with you versus when you’re stepping into a project with a global reach?

There is no different approach for me. The experience of shooting something on familiar ground versus shooting something in a new and unfamiliar place is very different though. What I find interesting is that it doesn’t really matter the differences in terms of production size, language, audience, amount of people or money involved; the act of acting always stays the same. 

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In Máxima, you portray King Willem-Alexander — a living public figure people already have very fixed opinions about. How did you find the balance between capturing recognisable mannerisms and creating a human version of him that doesn’t feel like imitation?

Together with Saskia and Joosje, our directors, we were able to find the right tone of humour that shapes a lot of the character and builds a bridge to how many people see him. Besides that, I wanted to focus on the scenes from a human level and make real connections with the other actors instead of trying to imitate someone.  

Máxima also explores a relationship that is both personal and political, and constantly under public scrutiny. When you’re playing a royal figure, do you focus more on psychology and intimacy, or on the external “performance” of power and image?

I do find the need for power at the royal house within a parliamentary monarchy is a wildly interesting theme that fascinates me a lot. But given the perspective in which the Máxima series is being told, the aspect of psychology, and intimacy has been more important in my process.

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With season two of Máxima about to release, and now even a spin-off, Mabel & Margarita, on the way, it’s clear the series has struck a nerve. Why do you think these stories resonate so much with the audience? 

Speaking for our series I think it’s a truly beautiful story of how an Argentinian woman ended up becoming the queen of the Netherlands. We see how two people from two completely different worlds meet and fight against the odds of their backgrounds to be together.

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You’re currently shooting De Bovenburen, which sounds like a very different type of story compared to the grandeur of Máxima. What attracted you to this project, and what kind of energy does it bring out in you as an actor compared to a high-profile series like Máxima?

Man, it has been so much fun to do this film. It’s about two couples who discuss their relationships, their sex, what they want from life. It’s a contemporary comedy driven by four actors in an apartment. A very joyful experience to work on. 

When you look at your career now — from Oorlogswinter to Netflix hits to BBC series like Marie Antoinette — you’ve built something unusually steady and diverse. What do you still feel you haven’t done yet, and what kind of role would genuinely feel like a challenge for you in a good way?

I would love to play a woman. I think it would be the biggest challenge of all.

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TEAM CREDITS:

talent MARTIJN LAKEMEIER
photography CAROLINA SOSA ABÓ
styling FELICITAS MIRANDA
hair MARTINA BENTANCUR
make up JOAQUINA FRANCI
film CAROLINA SOSA ABÓ
photography assistant TOMÁS BERGMAN
styling assistant KATUSHKA PAVLOVSKY
editor TIMI LETONJA @timiletonja
interview MAREK BARTEK @marekbartek